The Light of the Castle
by Shelly Lane
Summary: Lumiere explains how he became Prince Adam's servant and what life is like working for him. He also describes interactions with Cogsworth and Babette, and yes, he does discuss his point of view for the "Be Our Guest" dinner. Disney owns all. Thanks to Silvermouse for giving me a few ideas.
1. The Fall of a Baron

**The Fall of a Baron **

Monsieur Chevalier was one of the king's favorite knights, having saved His Majesty's life once in battle. The two of them became friends. In fact, they were so close that the king arranged Chevalier's marriage to a wealthy baroness.

One day, my father, who was a servant to the baroness because his family had served various nobles for three generations, announced that there was terrible news: The baroness had given birth to a daughter.

"What's so terrible about that?" I asked.

"The child was supposed to be a servant to the king himself," my father answered. "A girl simply will not do. The king is going to be very angry about this."

"But why?"

"You'll understand when you're older, Lumière," he assured me.

I sighed. Sometimes it seemed that was the only phrase adults knew how to say to children my age.

Chevalier was so disappointed in his wife that he sent her to the convent. He married another woman, but she also failed to give him a son. Many other members of aristocracy mocked Chevalier behind his back, losing no opportunity to remark, "The baron's wife is a barren wife."

He could find no excuse to send her away, but Chevalier was unhappy. Although he had never before touched _vin_, he began drinking far too much of it. Many nights he paced the corridors until morning.

One day he received news he had apparently been dreading to hear for quite some time: The queen had given birth, and this was a healthy prince. The king would be visiting Baron Chevalier's castle to take what had been promised as a first birthday gift for the royal son.

"Where is your child?!" King Antoine demanded. "Where is my son's new servant?!"

"Here she is, Your Majesty." Chevalier bowed. "May I present my lovely daughter…"

"A daughter?!" The king trembled with rage. "You promised me a son! I raised you in status and wealth, treating you as one of my most trusted friends, and this is how you repay me?!"

"Perhaps she could serve Your Majesty by…"

"Let the wolves have her!"

I couldn't believe it. The poor girl, only a few years younger than myself, was to be taken to the forest and abandoned! No doubt that by morning, she would be dead, torn to pieces by wolves. Even if the wolves weren't interested in assisting with her execution, she could always starve to death.

She fell to her knees, sobbing and begging for mercy, but the king was in no mood to listen. As soon as he had beheaded her father before her eyes, he took her into the forest and left her there.

(It wasn't until years later that I found out that she had found her way through the woods to a different castle and was adopted as a sister to the new prince's cousin, Lisette.)

"I am sickened!" the king shouted. "Chevalier was one of my closest friends, yet he has betrayed me! He was to have his own son to serve mine, yet where is the prince's new servant?! I certainly can't spare any of my own!" He seized a boy about my age. "You'll do!"

A few years later, I was picking berries in the forest near the castle where Chevalier had formerly been baron. I felt as if my heart would explode when I heard a rustle in the bushes, for I was sure a wolf was about to leap out from behind the nearest tree and pull me down by the throat. I was relieved to see the boy who had recently become the king's servant.

"What are you doing here?!" I demanded.

"The king's guards are chasing me," he explained. "I don't know what to do. They'll kill me if they find out I ran away!"

"Why did you leave?"

"I can't stand the king, or even the young prince! I thought if I ran away, I could make it to a village where no one knows who I am, and I could be hired as an apprentice and learn a trade. Even if I die penniless in the street, I would die free!"

"Our hair is nearly the same color," I remarked. "Give me your tabard, and I will go to the royal castle in your place. You will be free to continue trying to escape."

"You are a true friend, Lumière," he replied gratefully.

(Neither of us knew at the time that he would eventually become a duke after living for nearly two decades as a peasant.)

The king's guards brusquely escorted me to the royal castle.

"You are not the servant who ran away!" Queen Chantal exclaimed.

"Never mind!" interrupted the king. "One is as good as the other! But if he wishes to take the place of the first servant, he will take his punishment as well! Let him exchange jobs with the prince's whipping boy for a fortnight!"

I don't know what kind of a genius came up with the idea of such a job, but it certainly wasn't anyone who worked for Prince Adam! The idea of a whipping boy is that he and the prince become close friends, and when the prince misbehaves, he sees his friend receive some sort of punishment, and that breaks his heart to the point where he is highly unlikely to repeat the behavior. With Prince Adam, it was merely a convenience. He enjoyed the fact that he could do whatever he wanted and allow someone else to take the blame and suffer the consequences. I felt very sorry for the prince's whipping boy, even though he was several years older than Prince Adam.

His name was Cogsworth.


	2. The Castle in the Forest

**The Castle in the Forest**

"What is wrong, _mon ami_?" I asked.

"I'm doomed!" Cogsworth answered, still hyperventilating. "Even though he's still a very young child, Prince Adam is to be sent to live in his own castle, and I'm to be the head of household! If any of the other servants cause the slightest bit of trouble, I'll be sent to the dungeon…or worse, the scaffold!"

"Come now, Cogsworth. Is it really so terrible? Things could be worse."

"How?"

It nearly kills me to admit it, but he had a point, and a very good one at that.

First of all, Prince Adam hated his new castle. To the rest of us, it was wonderful: a strong fortress in the middle of a beautiful forest. Anyone who tried to harm the prince might easily become lost in the woods before ever arriving at the castle. Furthermore, it was rather spacious, and the castle library had a variety of books on every subject imaginable. The gardens flourished, and the grounds were extensive with several trees and fountains, a fine place for a stroll. Anything that could not be obtained from the forest could easily be found in the surrounding villages. However, the prince managed to find fault with it.

"I hate this forest!" he complained. "I feel like I'm in the middle of the wilderness! I'm not some wild beast who lives in the woods!" He shuddered. "The place is probably infested with wolves!"

As head of household, Cogsworth tried to see to it that the future king was well educated, but Prince Adam didn't make it easy.

"You want me to hold a book?! What need do I have for reading?! Besides, do you want me to get a paper cut?!"

"What does it matter which spoon I eat with?! I am the master of this castle! I will eat however I want!"

"Why should I learn to waltz?! When I am old enough to be betrothed to a princess my age, she will do as I say because I am the future king! I don't have to earn her love through some pathetic dance!"

"I refuse to learn any foreign languages! If anyone wants to talk to me, they can learn to speak French!"

The prince's tutors certainly got enough stress headaches to keep the royal physicians employed.

Above all, Prince Adam refused to hunt. He walked through the forest with a few guards every now and then just to prove that the woods, like everything else in France, belonged to him, but he had no use for the woodland.

It was my job to light and put out the candles in the corridors. The first time I attempted this chore, I burned my hand. The prince expressed his typical sympathy.

"Are you still able to move your hand?! Then get back to work!"

My other duties included assisting the kitchen staff, helping the prince choose his attire for the day, and advising him whenever necessary, although I had to be very careful and tactful. One of my most important jobs would have been to welcome guests, but the master never had any.

One day it got to be too much for me. I couldn't stand any more orders from the ungrateful little beast. I didn't know where I would go, but I was determined to run away, so that night, I slipped out of the castle and fled into the forest.

At first it was exciting. It was a beautiful night in the early summer, not too hot, but there was no chance of being caught in a snowstorm either. The full moon and stars made the woods nearly as bright as daytime, and the glow of fireflies was comforting. This would be simple: All I would have to do was find the path leading to the village. Then I would be able to take a wagon or sneak into a cart that led out of town. Perhaps I could find my way to a large city. After all, one young man I once knew had succeeded in running away. Who's to say I wouldn't be just as fortunate?

Half an hour later, I realized I had made a mistake. I had no idea where I was, and I hadn't thought to bring any supplies with me. Having no better plan, I lay down and fell asleep beneath a tree.

When I woke up, I was startled. There were small bones not too far from where I had been sleeping. At first I thought wolves had killed a rabbit during the night, but then I saw a human footprint in the mud near the stream. There were poachers nearby.

Looking up, I was horrified to discover that I was still less than half a mile from the castle. I had wandered aimlessly in circles all night.

When I tried to run away a second time, it was in autumn. This time I started immediately after dinner. I took several supplies I thought I would need and many I was almost sure I didn't.

I made excellent progress. When I was far enough away from the castle, I built a fire. I hadn't intended to doze off and let the fire get so out of control that the prince's guards had no trouble finding me.

My most successful escape attempt was that winter. Having adequate supplies and being sure of my way, I hid in the forest nearly the entire day, but I hadn't been prepared for the snowstorm that evening. At first I was excited because I thought it would deter anyone from finding me, but things didn't go as planned. Cogsworth found me the next morning, but that was actually a good thing because if he hadn't discovered me, I would have frozen to death.

"What are you doing here?!" he demanded.

"I could ask you the same thing," I answered.

"I was sent to visit with the ruler of Germany on the master's behalf," Cogsworth explained. "You were trying to run away again, weren't you?! It's a real pity! You were so close! In fact, you almost made it out of France this time!"

When Prince Adam finally hired caretakers of the royal forest, I stopped trying to escape. I knew then that it was hopeless. However, the first one he hired looked nothing like anyone expected.

Instead of resembling _Robin des Bois_, the young man, not much older than the prince, had bare feet and very simplistic clothing. This did not look like a proper forest worker; he looked much more suited for work as the town beggar. He held a wolf pelt in his hands, claiming the master had given it to him to make into a coat or another useful item of clothing.

Mrs. Potts reminded us all that it wasn't his fault that he had come from a poor family, and we should make him feel welcome since we were also frightened on our first day at the castle.

"Right you are!" I agreed. "After all, I'm sure someone working in the master's forest will be a great help to us all!"

I asked him what his favorite food was so I could see to it that the royal chef prepared it for him. Having spent his entire life as a beggar, the new servant didn't have a favorite dish; he was grateful for whatever was placed before him. I promised him that we would help him find a favorite, but although he didn't say anything, he seemed unhappy. No doubt he would rather have returned to his hovel and eaten meager rations or gone hungry with his family rather than feasted at the master's castle.

He didn't seem to like the prince, but he certainly had good reason. The master had nearly beheaded him, only sparing his life on the condition that this unfortunate beggar would agree to serve him forever; he was little more than a prisoner. The new servant had no boots or shoes. I couldn't imagine how dreadfully walking through the forest all day must have hurt his feet, but he never complained. However, judging from the fire that burned in his eyes every time the master was mentioned in conversation, I had a feeling he wanted nothing more than to tear Prince Adam's limbs off.


	3. The Affections of Young Ladies

**The Affections of Young Ladies**

Life at the castle wasn't all bad. In fact, some parts were wonderful. For example, there were many beautiful young ladies.

I do not mean to brag, but I suppose I have always been a handsome enough man, and I do have a certain amount of charm. However, I am not married.

This is a great advantage. I am able to steal kisses any time I wish from every woman who is not yet a wife, and the castle is not at all short on attractive ladies who have yet to find husbands!

Sometimes a young woman will act completely uninterested. I find this an enjoyable challenge, trying to figure out just which charms to use in order to win her favor. I suppose one of these days I will find someone completely immune to my good looks and charisma, but so far, I've managed to kiss every lady I've ever wooed.

Babette hates it. In her mind, I should devote my life to her happiness, and hers alone. I don't know what the hurry is. After all, it's not like Babette actually expects me to propose marriage!

Or does she?

Never mind.

I find it amusing. With every other woman, I merely have to use enough charm. With Babette, it is almost like a battle of wits. She flirts with other men in attempts to make me jealous, but when she notices that I flirt with other women, she accuses me of not loving her, so I have to be more charming than ever in order to have the chance to take her in my arms.

Some of the men at the castle are envious. A few of the young bachelors have actually asked me for advice on how to earn a lady's affection, and I tell them what I know.

For example, you shouldn't use a phrase that a woman has heard hundreds of times before, such as "Do you come here often?" You have to say something that sounds like natural conversation. This is difficult for some men because it requires listening to the young lady, guessing from her conversation what would spark her interest, and in a seemingly nonchalant manner, making a comparison between her and something she admires.

However, the most important thing to remember is that every woman is different, so what makes one girl swoon might make another girl punch you in the nose. You have to be careful. Understanding what a woman is really thinking and knowing how to act or what to say accordingly can be quite difficult, even if a man has had years of practice.

Not everyone is impressed by my skill in impressing young ladies. Cogsworth often tells me I am a "shameless, philandering disgrace" and when I am old and lonely with no one but myself to blame, I'll regret the fact that I flirted with as many women as possible instead of choosing one and loving no one else. Whenever Cogsworth says this to me, I always ask him where his wife is. (Cogsworth isn't married either, so he has no right to judge.)

As for the master, he doesn't seem to care whether or not I flirt with young ladies, as long as I manage to finish my chores.


	4. The Curse of the Beast

**The Curse of the Beast**

Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind, but then one winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the castle and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the prince sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away, but she warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within, and when he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress. The prince tried to apologize, but it was too late, for she had seen that there was no love in his heart, and as punishment, she transformed him into a hideous Beast.

I have always wondered what kind of evil hag puts a spell like that on a young boy. It has been ten years since the spell was cast, but I do not recall if it was recently nine years and has now become ten or if the tenth year is nearly finished and we have been under this curse for nearly eleven years.

The enchanted rose will bloom until the master's twenty-first year, but some people say your first year of life is not marked until twelve months after you are born, while others say that your first year of life begins at the moment of your birth, and three hundred sixty-five days later is your second year of life.

All that being said, I am not sure of the master's exact age, but I know he was between nine and eleven years old when the enchantress turned him into a Beast.

In fact, I'm not even certain of my own age. Some of the other servants think we're aging during this spell, just as we would if we were still in human form. Others think we're stuck at the age we were when the spell was cast; after all, furniture does not age as quickly as humans and Beasts do. I guess it will be impossible to tell unless we become human again and see how old we are.

Earlier this evening, an old man came to the castle. He was soaked from the pouring rain. The poor fellow must have lost his way in the woods.

"Keep quiet!" Cogsworth ordered. "Maybe he'll go away!"

"Is someone there?" our visitor asked.

"Not a word, Lumière," Cogsworth instructed. "Not one word!"

"I don't mean to intrude, but I've lost my horse, and I need a place to stay for the night!"

Remembering all the times years ago when I had been cold and lost in the forest, I could keep silent no longer.

"Oh, Cogsworth! Have a heart!"

He tried to keep me quiet by placing a hand over my mouth, but sometimes it's actually helpful to have a candle in each hand all the time. I burned him just enough to make him release me. I wouldn't have done such a thing if we were in our human forms, but since his own hands were made of metal, the burn just made him uncomfortable for a few seconds; it didn't do serious damage like it would to a hand made of flesh, muscle, and bone.

I addressed our guest. "Of course, _monsieur_! You are welcome here!"

Perhaps it goes without saying that the poor gentleman was a bit surprised to see me. I can't say that I blame him. Before the spell, I would have been surprised by talking household objects too.

He seemed fascinated with the fact that Cogsworth could speak. To be honest, it was the best entertainment I'd had in years, watching the gentleman trying to figure out how a clock was able to move on its own and speak. Perhaps this man was some sort of inventor and wished he could build a contraption that spoke and moved.

I did my best to be hospitable. Mrs. Potts served him tea, and I invited him to warm himself by the fire. Cogsworth objected, pointing out that the master would be furious to find a guest, especially since the gentleman was sitting in the master's favorite chair.

It's a bit strange, really. It isn't that Cogsworth is inhospitable, but as head of household, he is the one blamed if anything goes wrong in the castle, so he tries to obey the master's rules perfectly. On the other hand, it isn't that I'm purposely rebellious against the prince, but I believe there are times when the greater good is more important that obeying the future king's demands…if he can still be considered the future king, things being as they are.

Attending this gentleman was a nice change of pace. He seemed appreciative of our service, and he didn't make demands.

If only the rest of the evening had gone as smoothly!

Only a few minutes had passed before the master realized there was a stranger in his castle, and he wasn't at all pleased. Not giving any of us the chance to explain, he took the poor gentleman as his prisoner.


	5. The Arrival of a Beauty

**The Arrival of a Beauty**

None of us knew at the time that the gentleman had a beautiful young daughter. When I first saw her, I couldn't believe my eyes. There was a girl in the castle! She was no doubt the one we had been waiting for!

She bravely volunteered to stay as the master's prisoner on the condition that her father would be allowed to go free, and the master accepted her offer. Realizing that an imprisoned young lady was unlikely to have any sort of affection for her captor, I dared to venture an opinion.

"Master?"

"What?!" he snapped.

I tried to choose my words carefully. "Since the girl is going to be with us for quite some time, I was thinking that you might want to offer her a more comfortable room."

A snarl was his only reply.

"Then again, maybe not!"

An incredible thing happened: The girl's tears actually moved the master's heart a little. He either felt slightly guilty or realized that the only way he would have any peace and quiet in the castle would be to try to make her comfortable.

"I'll show you to your room," he stated.

The girl seemed surprised. "My room? But I thought…"

Being selfless is still a very new concept for the master, so he wasn't feeling too patient with her. "You want to stay in the tower?!"

"No."

"Then follow me!"

After the master had carried me silently through the corridors for a while, I quietly suggested, "Say something to her."

"Hmm? Oh. I…um…hope you like it here."

In another place and time, this would have almost been amusing. The poor girl was being forced to live in a castle with hideous sculptures everywhere, not to mention the place was under the command of a heartless monster who had imprisoned the girl's father, and the master actually believed she would like it here?! What a ridiculous idea! However, it was the master's first attempt at polite conversation, so I encouraged him to continue.

"The castle is your home now, so you can go anywhere you like, except the West Wing."

She seemed intrigued. "What's in the West…?"

"It's forbidden!"

When we finally arrived at the guest room where she was to stay, the master informed her that if she needed anything, we would attend her. In a way, it would have been nice if the prince had asked us first before assigning us extra duties, but I suppose it was only fitting. After all, if this girl learned to love him, she would be our master too, so we should get used to serving her.

"Dinner," I whispered. "Invite her to dinner."

"You will join me for dinner!" Prince Adam ordered. "That's not a request!"

That wasn't exactly what I'd had in mind. In fact, it wasn't even close. I was thinking of a polite invitation with a few kind words, such as "I wish to apologize for my outburst. To show how pleased I am to have made your acquaintance, I would be honored if you would join me for dinner."

The master paced impatiently in front of the fireplace as he waited for her, wondering aloud what was taking so long and why the girl hadn't arrived yet. Mrs. Potts advised him to be patient; after all, the poor girl had just lost her father and her freedom. I asked the master if he thought this girl might be the one to break the spell.

"Of course I have!" he retorted. "I'm not a fool!"

(That was certainly debatable, but I kept my mouth shut.)

When the master asked us for advice on impressing the girl, Mrs. Potts and I had different ideas, but we both agreed on one thing: He must control his temper.

This last bit of advice was ignored as soon as Cogsworth informed us that the girl wasn't coming. The master pounded on her door and began a shouting match, threatening to break down the door if she didn't come out.

"Master," I began tentatively, "I could be wrong, but that may not be the best way to win the girl's affections."

"Please, _attempt_ to be a gentleman!" Cogsworth begged.

"But she is being so difficult!" argued the prince.

We finally convinced him to use manners, but by that time, the girl was so frustrated with him that she wasn't about to accept his dinner invitation. Although we were a bit frustrated that it didn't seem as if we'd be human again anytime soon, we secretly admired the way she had the nerve to defy the master and how he had used the word "please."


	6. The Beginning of Our Hope

**The Beginning of Our Hope**

As I have already explained, one of my most important duties is making guests feel welcome, or at least it would have been if the master had ever had any visitors. That being, I sometimes ignore orders for the greater good.

The master had informed us that if the girl would not eat with him, she was to have no food at all. Cogsworth had commanded me to stand outside the door and inform him at once if she changed her mind.

I had more important things to do. More specifically, I was conversing with Babette. We were discussing important matters, such as…

I might as well be honest. I was flirting with her. Surely I have mentioned that out of all the ladies in the castle, she is one of my favorites to woo. In fact, now that I think about it, I believe she may very well be my absolute favorite.

As I took her into my arms, I kept imagining her human again. How wonderful it would be to feel rose petal hands stroking my face and feel her heart beating when I drew her into my tender embrace! Perhaps I could surprise her by getting her a beautiful dress, any color that wasn't black, gray, brown, or other drab hues, and maybe I would get her a lovely pair of shoes to go with it. Then she would have no excuse not to dance with me. Just imagining her arms around my neck once more as I stroked her hair, which was an attractive shade between auburn and chestnut brown…

My reverie had distracted me to the point where I almost hadn't noticed that our guest had emerged from her room. I hurried into the kitchen just in time to greet her with a kiss on the hand. Even if the master falls in love with her, I will always have the pleasure of knowing that I kissed her first. It is sort of a tradition I have: trying to kiss every young lady in the castle before she finds a husband so I can always say I had the honor of giving her the first kiss. Besides, what gentleman would not politely kiss a lady's hand? Cogsworth was certainly about to try before I beat him to it!

Mrs. Potts was delighted to hear that the girl was hungry. It seemed the elegant meal we had prepared would not go to waste after all! Cogsworth reminded us all that the master had forbidden us to feed her, but Mrs. Potts and I had other ideas.

This was to be the most important moment in my career. Never before had it mattered this much how welcome a guest felt in the castle. If I could convince the girl that this was truly her new home, full of kindred spirits who would gladly demonstrate their hospitality to make sure she felt welcome and see to it that her stay was comfortable, then it was possible that she would break the spell. If my welcome failed, she might leave the castle, taking our chances of being human again with her.

"_Ma chère mademoiselle_," I began, "it is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that we welcome you tonight, and now we invite you to relax. Let us pull up a chair as the dining room proudly presents your dinner."

I invited her to be our guest. It sort of had a double meaning. The first meant that she was welcome as our visitor, but the second was a way to let her know she was free to do as she pleased, and we would gladly accommodate her. She wanted dinner? Be our guest! She was more than welcome to help herself. She needed service? Be our guest! We were glad to oblige.

My efforts were rewarded by her applause…and Cogsworth taking the credit as if he had organized the presentation of her meal. However, she smiled and she was eager to look around the castle, graciously accepting our offer to give her a tour.

For the first time in years, I began to believe we had a chance of seeing the spell broken.


	7. The Conclusion of the Tale

**The Conclusion of the Tale**

I can't believe it's over!

I do not mean the spell; I mean our hopes. All is lost! Maybe it would have been better if she'd never come at all.

During the tour of the castle, the girl inadvertently wandered toward the staircase leading to the West Wing, and we hurried to stop her. However, she was intrigued by the idea of an area of the castle being forbidden. Halfway to the library, which had seemed to spark her interest, Cogsworth and I realized that she was no longer following us. By the time we found her, she was running to the door as fast as she could.

"Promise or no promise, I can't stay here another minute!" she exclaimed as she fled.

What were we thinking? We'll never be human again!


End file.
